Ok…maybe it seems a little silly to be reminded to smile, but sometimes in periods of prolonged stress, we don’t realize how long it’s been since we’ve done something that is part of our normal routine – like smile, laugh, or take a break.
So why should you smile?
- Smiling improves physical health because it can lower blood pressure and boost our immune system.
- Smiling improves mental health because it improves stress and activates mood-boosting chemicals in our brain. Even if a smile isn’t automatic, but something you do on purpose, the brain still responds positively. It’s a natural way to help the body fake it ’til you make it!
- Smiling improves relationships because smiles are contagious. When we make a concerted effort to smile at our loved ones, they will usually smile back. It’s a way we can give our kiddos a dose of this good “medicine”.
Right now there are a lot of things we can’t control, but there are a lot of things (sometimes small but powerful things) that we forget we can control.
Wanna Deep Dive into more information about the health benefits of smiles, check out these sources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/top-reasons-to-smile-every-day-2223755
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201206/there-s-magic-in-your-smile
OKPTA Cultivate 